The Sun and the Moon 1987

Boris Vallejo conjures a scene of cosmic mythology with oils, maybe sometime in the late 20th century. Look at how the radiant figure of the sun perches with an outstretched pose atop the moon, while a muscular figure strains to hold it aloft. I can almost hear the sound of Vallejo's brushstrokes, the swish and the dab as he coaxes these figures into being. It must have been a real trip to make this painting, figuring out how to give form to these mythic archetypes. What was Vallejo thinking about, playing with light and shadow to sculpt these bodies? The paint looks so smooth, almost airbrushed, each color seamlessly blending into the next. Think of other artists like Frank Frazetta who’ve explored similar territory; they're all conversing across time. There is a real sense of ambiguity, like the artist is trying to create a world, and we viewers are invited to imagine what it all means.